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Character Interview: Lucia Maratinzano aka Aunt Olga

This is an interview conducted
with Lucia Maratinzano, better known as Aunt Olga, of the Just Call Me Angel
series. Aunt Olga has been Angel’s legal guardian since she was a small
child, carefully protecting her from learning the truth about her own identity.

In the first book of the Just
Call Me Angel series (Tetterbaum’s Truth), Angel learns that her real name
is Michelangela Maratinzano and that her father was Boss of the Maratinzano
crime family in Chicago.

How did you feel when Angel
learned the truth about her identity?

Merciful
Heavens, I was furious! I told my Angel to stay away from those Italian
men. I knew it was only a matter of time before one of them would put two
and two together, and that Grayson fella damn near got her killed.
Humph! I spent years isolating her from the Mob and now, well, now it’s
just a mess.

Now that Angel is running the
family, it must be stressful. How do you handle the stress?

I
cook, that’s what I do. I make the best homemade Ravioli and Cannoli.
That’s one of my Angel’s favorite foods, Cannoli. She can’t resist
it. She also likes my famous cinnamon pancakes.

We’ve heard that you and your
brother don’t get along. Why is that?

He’s
a bossy, old coot, that’s why! Just because Giovanni is the Cappo di
Tutti Capi, he thinks he can boss me around, but he’s wrong.

Is it true that you Tasered
Giovanni?

Merciful
Heavens, that was one of the greatest moments of my life! Between you and
me, I wouldn’t mind doing it again, several more times.

If you don’t mind me asking,
how old are you?

Well,
now, that’s a rude question, but since you’re such a hunky lot of hot Italian
muscle, I’ll give you a ballpark. I’m in my early seventies; but I don’t
feel like it, and I don’t act like it either.

What do you think about Angel
purchasing Tetterbaum’s Pub?

Oooh,
I can’t stand that old pub. A pub is no place for a lady and I told
Angel she shouldn’t buy it, Lord forbid that child listen to me. She’s as
stubborn as grandfather, Giovanni.

Angel calls you meddlesome and
accuses you of eavesdropping. Is this true? Do you meddle?

Eavesdropping
is a gift of love. I ask you, how am I supposed to offer my advice if I
don’t know what’s going on? I can’t help if I don’t know what’s
happening. And as for me being meddlesome, that’s a bunch of
hooey. I have occasionally picked out some men for Angel, that didn’t
meet her high standards, but that’s not meddling, that’s just being a loving
aunt.

Who do you see Angel marrying?

Merciful
Heavens, I don’t know. Even if the mob rules would change, she’d still be
unable to decide between Tony and Andrew. I like that Sean Shepherd
guy. They call him the Snake. Or that new guy, Big Mike, he’s a
hunky thing. As for me, I’d like to get me some of that Salvatore pie,
but we’ll see. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, say no more.

Aunt Olga is a spunky lady and
she’ll keep you laughing your way through the Just Call Me Angel series, which
currently consists of four novels: Tetterbaum’s Truth, Traitors Among Us,
Russian Uprising, Death Trap.

BIO

My name is Susan Claridge and I write under the name,
S.R.Claridge. I'm a mom,
a wife, a daughter, a sister, a niece, an in-law and friend; but no matter what
hat I wear, I’m always the same simply, complicated woman beneath. I love
autumn,
moonlight and Grey Goose Vodka martinis with bleu cheese olives. I believe
Friday nights were made for Mexican food and margaritas and Sunday mornings
warrant an extra-spicy Bloody Mary. I love Jesus and know that any good in me
comes from God. I believe in the power of prayer, in the freedom of forgiveness
and that people can change. I have a terrible temper and a tender heart, and
somehow they balance. At times I may appear teetering on the edge, but I'd
rather walk dangerously where there's a view than let life pass me by.
Relationships intrigue me and so does the loyalty of Mafia families, which is
why I chose these topics for my novels.

BOOKS

No Easy Way(debut novel; nominated for The Molly Award
from the HODRW 2010)

"I’d like to encourage readers to enter my giveaway
contest. I will be giving away an ebook copy of TETTERBAUM'S TRUTH, book one in
the Just Call Me Angel series; or if you've already read Tetterbaum's Truth,
you may select another novel of your choice and receive that e-copy
instead. Leave a comment below and you're automatically entered. Include
your email address in your comment so I can get in touch with you
should your name be selected at random. The winner will be announced on my blog
(http://www.FeelingTheFiction.blogspot.com
) on December 12, 2012. Good luck!"

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